Midshipman 1st Class (senior) Cameron Davis, 21, of Battlefield, Mo., and Midshipman 1st Class (senior) Michael Zimmerman, 22, of Monmouth Beach, N.J., were recently selected for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology/Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (MIT/WHOI) Joint Master’s in Oceanography Program.
The Joint Program offers a deep knowledge of ocean processes, ocean vehicles and instrumentation, acoustics, and signal processing, and seeks to enhance understanding and application of operational oceanography as it pertains to the undersea warfare domain. The Joint program is a five-year doctoral degree program, but is open only to U.S. naval officers to earn a master’s degree. More than 85 officers have received this degree dating back to the first award in 1970.
The program offers two fields of study. The Applied Ocean Science and Engineering track is hosted by the Mechanical Engineering Department and the Department of Applied Ocean Physics and Engineering Department at WHOI. The Physical Oceanography track is hosted by the Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Department at MIT and the Department of Physical Oceanography at WHOI.
Davis will be on the Applied Ocean Science and Engineering track and is currently an ocean engineering major at the U.S. Naval Academy. His research interests include remotely operated vehicles and unmanned underwater vehicles as the future of ocean exploration and undersea warfare. He aspires to continue learning and researching the most effective and efficient ways to explore the world we live in, and maximising our resources to strategize against imminent dangers to our nation.
“Being accepted into such a prestigious program is nothing short of amazing,” said Davis. “I am honored and blessed to be in this position. This education will help me in the fleet tremendously. Understanding the environment I will be operating in as a nuclear surface warfare officer will give an advantage to the ship. I am looking forward to acquiring more knowledge and conducting research in my field of study.”
Davis is a member of the 19th Company. He is the Captain of the Navy Varsity Men’s Basketball team and was recently selected by the other varsity team captains as the Athletic Teams Commander, known informally as the “Captain of Captains.” As the Athletic Teams Commander, Davis attends Brigade Staff meetings and has the opportunity to be involved in the leadership of the Brigade by voicing the concerns of the large portion of the student body who are varsity athletes.
Zimmerman, will be on the Physical Oceanography track and is currently an honors oceanography major at the U.S. Naval Academy where he is a Bowman Scholar studying the impact of upper atmospheric waves caused by the Madden Julian Oscillation (MJO) on Antarctic sea ice. His research project, entitled Connecting Antarctica to the Tropics: Understanding and Predicting the Antarctic Cryosphere via the Madden Julian Oscillation, will be among the first to rigorously understand how the MJO affects the Antarctic cryosphere. His goal is to add to the limited knowledge surrounding sea ice variability on a 30-to-60 day time scale, along with atmospheric, oceanographic, and cryospheric teleconnections, which will benefit naval operations in the polar regions.
“It’s the honor of a lifetime to have been accepted into the Joint Program and pursue a graduate education before I head out to the fleet as a future submarine officer,” said Zimmerman. “This success is due to so many around me: my family and friends back home; my high school teachers who put me on this path; the incredible USNA Oceanography staff; my companymates and fellow midshipmen who keep me motivated to strive for more, and the web of mentors that never fail to give the best advice. Without them, none of this would have been possible.”
Zimmerman is a member of the 7th Company; he has held several midshipman leadership positions, including Plebe Summer Squad Leader and Plebe Summer Company Commander, and he is preparing to take on the role of 2nd Battalion Commander for his final semester in Annapolis.
Founded in 1845, the U.S. Naval Academy today is a prestigious four-year service academy that prepares midshipmen morally, mentally and physically to be professional officers in the naval service. More than 4,400 men and women representing every state in the U.S. and several foreign countries make up the student body, known as the Brigade of Midshipmen. U.S. News and World Reports has recognized the Naval Academy as a top five undergraduate engineering school and a top 20 best liberal arts college. Midshipmen learn from military and civilian instructors and participate in intercollegiate varsity sports and extracurricular activities. They also study subjects such as leadership, ethics, small arms, drill, seamanship and navigation, tactics, naval engineering and weapons, and military law. Upon graduation, midshipmen earn a Bachelor of Science degree in a choice of 25 different subject majors and go on to serve at least five years of exciting and rewarding service as commissioned officers in the U.S. Navy or U.S. Marine Corps.
For more information about the Naval Academy, please see www.usna.edu or their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/USNavalAcademy.
